Vorkommen von Weichmachern (Phthalaten) in Gemeinschaftseinrichtungen unter besonderer Bedeutung der Ergebnisse von LUPE 3

Abstract

Children are a very susceptible subgroup of the general population and therefore health authorities have a special interest to prevent them from health hazards. In a study of 3 German Bundesländer the indoor air and dust samples of altogether 63 German daycare centres were analysed for the presence of phthalate diesters in 2011/12 (LUPE 3 study). Inhalable dust and gas phases were collected with a glass fibre filter and polyurethane foam over approximately 6 h while children were attending these facilities. Settled dust was collected by vacuuming the floor of the room using an ALK dust sampler. Indoor air and dust were analysed using a GC/MS system. Median values in the dust samples were 888 mg/kg for di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), 302 mg/kg for diisononyl phthalate (DiNP), 34 mg/kg for diisodecyl phthalate (DiDP), 21 mg/kg for di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and 20 mg/kg for diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP). For DEHP and DiNP maximum values of 10,086 mg/kg and 7,091 mg/kg were observed, respectively. DEHP and DiNP were responsible for 70% and 24% of the total phthalate concentration in the dust. In indoor air phthalates are found mainly in the particulate phase of the filters. Only the more volatile phthalates dimethyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate were found also in the gas phase. The median values in the indoor air were 470 ng/m³ for DiBP, 230 ng/m³ for DnBP, 190 ng/m³ for DEHP, and 100 ng/m³ for DiNP. DnBP and DiBP were together responsible for 55% of the total phthalate concentration in the indoor air. Overall, our study showed that the concentrations of phthalates in indoor air of daycare centers are slightly higher and in dust samples lower compared with schools.